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Norooz is celebrated and observed principally in Iran, and has spread in many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia, South Asia, Caucasus, Northwestern China, the Crimea and some groups in the Balkans. In Iran, Norooz is an official holiday lasting for 13 days during which most national functions including schools are off and festivities take place.
Norooz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical Northward equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians, it is also celebrated in parts of the South Asian sub-continent as the new year. The moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and Iranian families gather together to observe the rituals.
Originally
being a Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of them all, Norooz is
believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is
no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has
begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and
enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.
The
term Norooz in writing first appeared in Persian records in the 2nd
century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the
Achaemenids (c. 550–330 BCE), where kings from different nations under
the Persian empire used to bring gifts to the Emperor, also called King
of Kings (Shahanshah), of Persia on Norooz. The significance of Norooz
in the Achaemenid empire was such that the great Persian king Cambyses
II's appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his
participation in the New Year festival (Norooz).
The
UN's General Assembly in 2010 recognized the International Day of
Norooz, describing it as a spring festival of Persian origin which has
been celebrated for over 3,000 years. During the meeting of The
Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28 September – 2 October
2009 in Abu Dhabi, Nowrūz was officially registered on the UNESCO List
of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The
official world celebration for Norooz is held in countries which
observe this festival. The first world celebration for Norooz was held
in the capital of Iran Tehran on 27 March 2010. Until now this
celebration has been held in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
ref: wikipedia.org
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